Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeing the first 10.13.6 beta.
The new macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store with the proper profile installed.
We don't yet know what improvements the sixth update to macOS High Sierra will bring, but it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that were not able to be addressed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.5.
No feature changes were discovered in the first macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 beta, but we'll update this post if new features or notable bug fixes are discovered in the second.
Work on macOS High Sierra is wrapping up, with Apple now shifting focus to the next-generation version of macOS, macOS 10.14, which was unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4.1 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first beta and a little over two weeks after releasing iOS 11.4, an update that introduced AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.4.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
No new features were discovered in the first iOS 11.4.1 beta, suggesting it focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of iOS 11.4.
We'll update this post should we discover any new features in the second iOS 11.4.1 beta, but we're not expecting major changes now that Apple has shifted its focus to iOS 12, which is also available to developers for beta testing purposes.
Apple this morning seeded an updated beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update, one week after releasing the first beta after the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference Keynote. watchOS 5 is the newest version of the software that runs on the Apple Watch.
To install the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update.
To update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out.
The first version of the initial watchOS 5 beta was pulled by Apple shortly after it was released due to reports that the beta had been bricking some Series 2 Apple Watches, rendering them unusable. This new beta fixes that issue and makes the watchOS 5 update available to developers once again.
watchOS 5 is a significant update to watchOS, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier than ever to start and stop workouts.
Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.
watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.
The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models. It is not available for the first-generation "Series 0" Apple Watch models, likely due to performance and battery issues.
Apple this morning shared a trailer for what appears to be the inaugural episode of the second season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series," which kicks off on Friday, June 15 with an episode starring Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm singing songs like Bohemian Rhapsody.
Renner, Helms, and Hamm are all starring in the movie "TAG," which comes out on the same day the new Carpool Karaoke episode debuts.
"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" was renewed for a second season back in February after a successful first season that wrapped up last year. While this could be the first episode of a new season, the fact that it coincides with a movie release also means it might be a one-off episode.
For those unfamiliar with the show, "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" is based on the Carpool Karaoke segment that was made popular on "The Late Late Show With James Corden." The series pairs up different celebrities, musicians, and athletes, putting them in a car to sing popular songs.
The first season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" premiered in August of 2017 exclusively to Apple Music subscribers. A month ago, Apple made the first season of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" available for free to everyone through its TV app. Apple says that this new episode of Carpool Karaoke will be available "only on the Apple TV app."
"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" season one featured celebrity pairings included Will Smith and James Corden; Miley, Noah, Billy Ray and the entire Cyrus family; Shakira and Trevor Noah; Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams; Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith; John Legend, Alicia Keys and Taraji P. Henson; LeBron James and James Corden; and more.
Best Buy today has Apple's HomePod on sale for $299.99 in both White and Space Gray, representing $50 in savings for the smart home speaker. While it's been possible to get HomePod for even cheaper thanks to offers like eBay's occasional 20 percent off coupons, straight discounts on brand new models have been a bit more rare, making this a good opportunity to add HomePod to your home if you've been on the fence.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Best Buy also has $50 off Apple Watch Series 3 today, with 38mm Aluminum down to $279.00 and 42mm Aluminum down to $309.00. A few other Best Buy deals on Apple products are listed below:
Verizon iPhone - Buy a select iPhone and get one free with qualifying Verizon activation
iPad mini - Save $100 / as low as $299.99 for 128GB
MacBook Pro - Save up to $250 / as low as $1,499.99 with Student Deals
21.5-inch iMac - Latest model, 3.4 GHz, 8GB, 1TB for $1,299.99, down from $1,499.99
27-inch iMac - Latest model, 3.8 GHz, 8GB, 2TB for $2,099.99, down from $2,299.99
Although PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay store had a better deal on App Store and iTunes Cards this weekend, it's now expired, leaving Best Buy and Target's BOGO 20 percent offers as the best around for iTunes credit savings. With deals like this, the more you spend the more you can save, so buying two $100 cards will cost $180, two $50 cards will cost $90, and two $25 cards will cost $45.
Those beginning to buy gifts before Father's Day this weekend also have a few options to choose from today. Notable accessory companies like Twelve South and Pad & Quill have debuted sales for Father's Day, which we've listed below:
Twelve South - Save on iPhone cases, iPad cases, charging docks, and more in Twelve South's Father's Day Gift Guide 2018
Braven - Get 20 percent off sitewide with code LOVEDAD
B&H Photo - Save on a variety of Apple products like the 2018 iPad ($30 off), Late 2016 MacBook Pro ($800 off), Cellular Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 3 ($50 off), and more
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more sales and savings going on as we get closer to Father's Day on Sunday, June 17.
Snapchat today announced a new feature called "Clear Chats," which lets you delete any message you've sent to another person on Snapchat, whether in individual or group chat. This encompasses text chats, stickers, audio and voice notes, and any photo and video snaps sent from Memories.
To delete a chat message you can press and hold on the message or media in question and select the new "Delete" option. Snapchat warns that after this the recipient will be alerted in the conversation that a message was deleted. Anyone can still screenshot message contents as well.
Clear Chat will not be affected by direct snaps, however, so if you open Snapchat, take a picture with the camera, and send it to someone, the snap will not be deletable. Instead, any photo or video snap sent from Memories (swiping up on the camera screen) can now be deleted after it's been sent, in addition to basic text deleting options.
Additionally, the social media company is today launching the second generation Spectacles on Amazon in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, after first being available only on Snapchat.com. In the coming weeks, Amazon storefronts in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain will also gain Spectacles 2.0.
On Amazon, Spectacles will be available in Onyx Moonlight, Sapphire Twilight, and Ruby Daybreak, and the glasses will run for $150 in the United States. Snapchat chose to launch the new Spectacles only on its own website at first in a bid to ensure that supply and demand was more balanced this time around, and now the company is prepared for a wider rollout.
Message deleting will roll out to Snapchat users across the world over the next few weeks.
Net neutrality regulations officially expired in the United States earlier this morning, making today the first day of a post-net neutrality internet (via The New York Times). The expiration of the laws comes six months after the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 in favor of repealing net neutrality, a vote that has since faced intense backlash including multi-state lawsuits and a recent move by Democrats to block the repeal.
Although supporters and opponents of net neutrality greatly disagree on how the internet will look following the repeal, without the rules internet service providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T now have the legal ability to throttle any traffic on their networks, and block access to sites and services completely, as long as they inform their customers of their actions. In essence, many have theorized that this could lead to ISPs bundling "packages" of internet sites and selling them like cable companies, as well as putting high-paying customers in "fast lanes" and everyone else in "slow lanes."
Of course, all of these changes won't happen at once, and some states won't see any affect from the disappearance of net neutrality today due to local legislation. Washington state governor Jay Inslee signed a law in March that effectively reinstated the federal net neutrality rules for its residents, and other state governors in Montana and New York are said to have used executive orders "to force net neutrality." A total of 29 state legislatures had introduced bills to ensure net neutrality as of May, but many failed or are still pending today as the national repeal takes place.
Democrats took to the Senate last month and won a vote to restore net neutrality rules across the country, which is now facing a major hurdle in the House of Representatives. According to Bloomberg, Democrats are now "less than 50 votes" from advancing their resolution in the House that would reinstate net neutrality protections, with a petition to force a vote at 170 of 218 signatures needed. If the measure ultimately makes it to President Trump's desk, it's believed that it would likely still be struck down as the President wouldn't go against a regulation created by his own FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
The pro-net neutrality petition's sponsor, Representative Mike Doyle, noted that many see the measure gaining momentum as customers become aware of how things could change in the future.
“If certain services are blocked or throttled, they get it,” Doyle said. "People start to understand, these are protections for consumers that no longer exist.”
In contrast, USTelecom president Jonathan Spalter said the outcry is unfounded and pointed out that "it's business as usual on the internet today."
“It’s business as usual on the internet today -- movies are streaming, e-commerce is thriving, and advocates are using the internet to make their voices heard,” said Jonathan Spalter, president of broadband trade group USTelecom with members including AT&T and Verizon. “These positive and profound benefits of a free and open internet -- among many others -- are here to stay.”
FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a press conference on Friday that today's repeal will lead to "better, faster, cheaper internet access for consumers, and more competition." Supporters of the repeal cite the return to an "open" and less regulated internet, seen prior to the 2015 induction of net neutrality. Multiple groups taking the FCC's side in the debate and in numerous legal battles include wireless communications trade association CTIA, which represents AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, and NCTA, an association representing cable carriers like Comcast and Charter.
As Democrats gather votes in the House, many of the big technology companies have voiced support of net neutrality, including Netflix, Google, Amazon, and Apple. Although the company and its executives have not discussed the topic in a few months, Apple's comment last year stated that the net neutrality repeal could "fundamentally alter the internet as we know it," and if it passed it would be put in place to the detriment of consumers, competition, and innovation.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Mac and Linux video game publisher Feral Interactive today announced that it will begin supporting external GPUs, beginning with the recently-launched Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. Apple first launched support for external graphics processors in March with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4.
The addition allows users to connect an eGPU to their Mac through Thunderbolt 3, powering additional performance for better gaming graphics, VR content creation, professional apps, and more. Feral notes that players can use an eGPU with "any Mac supported by Rise of the Tomb Raider," but there could still be limitations due to the power of the Mac's CPU, despite the boost from the eGPU.
As of now, Rise of the Tomb Raider is the only Feral game confirmed with eGPU support, but the company says that it is working to introduce eGPU support to more of its games. Announcements for these titles will take place on Feral's social network and news feeds, which anyone interested can find on today's FAQ page.
Feral first revealed Rise of the Tomb Raider would be coming to Mac back in February, and then it launched in April. The game is a port of the console game from 2016, and is the second part of the rebooted franchise that began with Tomb Raider in 2013.
Apple's process of modernizing its chain of over 500 retail stores continues in several major cities around the world.
Over the weekend, Apple celebrated the grand opening of its relocated Beverly Center store in Los Angeles. Apple's original store in the shopping mall, opened November 2005, permanently closed at the end of Friday.
Apple's remodeled stores often gain additional square footage to accommodate an increased number of both products and customers. The extra space is also beneficial to Today at Apple sessions related to photography, coding, exercising with the Apple Watch, and other topics.
Apple's latest retail design, introduced in 2015, typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for product marketing and in-store events, and sequoia wood shelves on the walls for accessories.
Apple recently announced that its flagship Covent Garden store in London will be closed starting June 27 to allow for renovations to be completed. Of note, this location became Apple's largest store when it first opened in 2010, although it has since ceded the title to a newer store in the United Arab Emirates.
A sign at Apple Covent Garden tipped by a MacRumors reader
Likewise, 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber reported that Apple Wangfujing in Beijing will be closed for renovations starting June 24.
Elsewhere in the Greater China region, Apple has revealed that it will be opening a second store in Macau, along the Cotai Strip, an area with several hotels, casinos, and resorts, earning it the nickname of the Las Vegas of Asia. Apple has yet to specify an exact opening date, but it could be within the next month.
Apple's banner for its second store in Macau via MacRumors reader Chris Gooda
During its E3 conference last night, Bethesda Game Studios revealed that a new game in the Elder Scrolls series is coming to iOS and Android devices this fall, called The Elder Scrolls: Blades [Direct Link] (via TouchArcade). Bethesda describes Blades as a free-to-play title, but the developer didn't give any further details about potential in-app purchases.
In terms of story, players will take on the role of a member of the ancient order of the Blades, tasked with rebuilding and restoring their ramshackle hometown to its former glory after being exiled from the order. Bethesda says the mobile game "contains the many hallmarks" of the series that fans know of:
...beautifully rendered, console-quality environments, powerful magic, tons of gear to collect, upgradeable skills and of course, real-time fantasy battles!
Like other Elder Scrolls games, Blades is first person and fights are controlled by using the touchscreen to slash your sword, deflect, cast spells, and more. A fighting Arena features one-on-one combat with other players in real time, and an infinite, roguelike Abyss mode hides treasures in a never-ending dungeon.
The single-player campaign takes players through the town rebuilding process, where they will be able to customize the city to their liking as it expands and even visit their friends' towns. In every mode, Blades supports both two-handed landscape and a one-handed portrait setup, and to switch between each all you have to do is rotate the iPhone or iPad.
During the company's press conference, Bethesda Games Studios director Todd Howard showed a video of the game running on an iPhone X.
Those interested have until June 15 to pre-register for a chance to be part of the game's early access program. Otherwise, Bethesda says that The Elder Scrolls: Blades will launch to the public sometime later this year. Although it's launching first on smartphones and tablets, Howard says that Blades will eventually be available on PC and console.
On the iOS App Store, Apple has featured The Elder Scrolls: Blades today in a sneak peek article, where users can also pre-order the game [Direct Link] with an expected release date of September 1, 2018. A few other iOS gaming announcements have been made at E3 this year, one including a mash-up of the Gears of War franchise and Funko Pop toys called Gears Pop.
PayPal on eBay this weekend is offering $100 App Store and iTunes gift cards for $85, marking the latest 15 percent discount on the cards and a good chance for those who have been waiting on a deal to get free iTunes credit. While the sale lasts, anyone with a PayPal account can take advantage of the deal, and you'll receive the code for the iTunes credit via email within a few hours after the purchase.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The credit will only be valid on purchases made on the United States App and iTunes stores. PayPal's iTunes gift card sales are limited and typically tend to last for a day or two, so be sure to visit PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay store and place your order before the end of the weekend if you want to stock up on some iTunes credit, or send it as a gift to a friend or family member.
These iTunes card sales are a great way to get iTunes credit at a cheaper price, which you can then use to rent and buy movies on iTunes, pay for your Apple Music and iCloud subscriptions, purchase a new app, expand your iBooks collection, and much more.
Coinciding with the new gift card offer, iTunes has some notable discounts on its Movies storefront that might be of interest to horror movie fans getting iTunes credit today. The sale prices include a collection of Modern Horror films for just $4.99 each, including the ones listed below:
The full list of discounted Modern Horror films can be seen on the iTunes Movies storefront. If you're interested in checking out more sales and offers, be sure to visit our Deals Roundup.
A future version of the Apple Watch will be updated with solid state buttons that don't physically click but instead use a Taptic Engine to provide haptic feedback to users, reports Fast Company.
Apple will continue to use a two button configuration with a Digital Crown and a Side button, but neither button will be a traditional physical button.
Apple will stick with the Watch's current button configuration, with a button and a digital crown situated on one side of the device, but neither will physically click as before. Rather than reacting to the user's touch by physically moving back and forth, the new buttons will vibrate slightly under the fingertip, using the haptic effect Apple calls the Taptic Engine. (The digital crown will still physically rotate to navigate through content.)
What Fast Company is describing is the same solid state button design that Apple first introduced with the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus Home button. These devices, and later iPhones with a Home button, use solid state buttons that provide haptic feedback from the built-in Taptic Engine to mimic a button press. Apple uses a similar method for its MacBook and MacBook Pro trackpads, which also lack physical buttons.
Solid state buttons will improve water resistance in the Apple Watch and also take up less space, leaving more room for a bigger battery or other components. Fast Company's source also alleges Apple is working on using the top of the buttons as sensors to gather health-related data like heart rhythms as some types of measurements require more than one point of contact with a user's skin.
According to Fast Company, the Apple Watch could adopt solid state buttons as early as 2018, but if the feature doesn't make it into the 2018 Apple Watch models, solid state buttons will be introduced in 2019. In the future, beyond 2019, Apple is also said to be working towards a watch that has no buttons at all, with the sides of the device designed to respond to touch and swipe-based gestures.
Previous 2018 Apple Watch rumors have made no mention of solid state buttons, but we have heard that the fourth-generation Apple Watch models could feature a display that's 15 percent larger, perhaps through a reduction in bezel size. New models are also said to feature a longer battery life and improved health monitoring capabilities.
As we've followed DirecTV Now's ongoing offer to get an Apple TV 4K at no extra cost when paying for three months of the live streaming TV service for $105, it's been somewhat unclear how long the deal would last. According to our affiliate, today's the last day to take advantage of the deal, as the three-month offer will expire later tonight.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with DirecTV Now. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Afterward, the deal will return back to prepaying for four months of DirecTV Now at $140 to get the Apple TV 4K at no cost, which will last only for a few days through Tuesday, June 12. After that date, the offer -- which kicked off seven months ago in November 2017 -- appears to be ending for good.
The deal continues to provide the best savings for a 32GB Apple TV 4K online (regularly $179), so if you haven't used it yet -- or if you want another Apple TV 4K in your house -- check out the steps on how to redeem it below:
Select the "Live a Little" package to get the Apple TV at the lowest possible price
Choose if you want to add another stream and premium channels, or click "Skip for now"
Click "Add to plan" under the Apple TV 4K box in the Special offer section
Click "Continue" and go through the account creation and checkout processes
Although some users keep their DirecTV Now subscription after the three month period ends, many also choose to cancel the service before they're charged again. Even if you cancel, the Apple TV 4K will be yours to keep once you go through with the sale. DirecTV Now promotes the offer as one for new subscribers only, but existing subscribers can claim it by using an alternative email address from their original account, or by setting up an iCloud email alias.
Head over to our full Deals Roundup for even more of the latest discounts going on this week, including our new and exclusive sale partnership with Twelve South on accessories that will help you declutter and organize your desk space.
Update: It appears AT&T is letting the three-month prepayment deal run just a bit longer than originally planned, so make sure to grab it before it's gone.
For this week's Friday giveaway, we've teamed up with Speck for something special. We're giving away a brand new 32GB sixth-generation iPad paired with one of Speck's iPad cases, the Balance Folio Clear.
Priced at $44.95, Speck's Balance Folio Clear is made from a clear, durable polycarbonate that keeps your iPad protected but visible, leaving the design and look of the iPad unobscured. The case has been drop tested and will keep the iPad safe from scratches, bumps, and short falls.
The Balance Folio Clear includes a built-in adjustable stand that can be positioned in several angles for typing, watching videos, and more, and when closed, there's a secure clasp that keeps everything shut tight for travel. Sleep/wake magnets are included so your iPad turns on or off when the cover is opened or closed.
For a folio-style case, the Balance Clear adds little bulk to the iPad with the clear rear shell and thin protective front cover in black or blue.
Speck is pairing the Balance Folio Clear with a 9.7-inch 32GB WiFi only sixth-generation iPad, which was released back in March and is the newest iPad Apple has available for purchase. It offers an upgraded processor and Apple Pencil support.
To enter to win the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (June 8) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 15. The winner will be chosen randomly on June 15 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
Senior vice president of Apple Retail, Angela Ahrendts, today tweeted out an announcement for a new "Today at Apple" session focused on app prototyping for aspiring developers. News of the session arrives as Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference comes to an end today, after first kicking off with a keynote in San Jose, California on Monday.
Ahrendts describes the new program as a way to help app makers get started with prototyping, which she describes as "one of the most important steps of the design process." The session itself is based on a popular talk from WWDC, and events for the prototyping lessons will begin at Apple retail locations later in June.
We’re launching a new #TodayatApple session to help aspiring app makers get started with one of the most important steps of the design process — prototyping. The session is based on a popular #WWDC talk. Sessions start later this month https://t.co/NMAVfZrdT3
— Angela Ahrendts (@AngelaAhrendts) June 8, 2018
Ahrendts has spearheaded Today at Apple sessions since the program expanded globally in May 2017, after originally beginning at Apple's flagship store in Union Square in San Francisco. Today at Apple offers free sessions to teach skills in photography, videography, music, coding, art, and design, all using Apple products like iPad and Mac.
You can find Today at Apple sessions near you by visiting the company's website, although it appears to be too early for the new prototyping sessions to be listed.
Apple appears to be rolling out a series of updates for Apple Music today, including a small but useful new section called "Coming Soon," which allows subscribers to check out new albums about to be released over the next few weeks. On iOS and macOS, the hub is located in the Browse tab > New Music > scroll down to find Coming Soon > tap "See All." Music Videos were previously the last thing to see here, but now Apple has introduced Coming Soon as well.
The hub lists artists from a variety of different genres, with impending albums from Panic! At The Disco ("Pray For the Wicked", June 22), Florence + The Machine ("High As Hope", June 29), Interpol ("Marauder", August 24), and more. With only about 10 albums listed, Coming Soon isn't an entirely definitive source of every upcoming album on Apple Music, but albums have been added to the section throughout the morning so it appears Apple will be continuously expanding this area.
On macOS, there is a drop down menu for sorting options, but it only has a "Recent Bestsellers" option at this point. Apple could update this to make it even easier to sort upcoming albums by release dates, genres, and more. On iOS, however, there is no sorting option at this time.
Coming Soon on macOS
In another addition, Apple is now making it possible to easily see album launch dates on their respective pages on iOS and macOS. In the Editors' Notes section, following the traditional encouragement to add the pre-release album to your library, there's a new line that begins "Album expected..." followed by the album's specific release date. Some albums not listed in Coming Soon still have a release date specified on their pages, so this update appears to be a bit more wide-ranging.
Lastly, another rollout appears to be happening today in regards to artist profiles, showing up as of now only in iTunes on macOS. These profiles have a slightly tweaked layout with artist portraits in circular bubbles, and a "Featured Release" that includes release dates.
There's also a "Play" button next to the artist's name, which was first noticed by iOS 12 beta testers and appears to be launching now for all Apple Music users, although as of writing MacRumors has only seen profile updates on a computer running macOS 10.13.4 and not on iOS. This button shuffles all of an artist's music at once.
The Coming Soon tab and release dates have appeared for multiple users on iOS 11.4, as well as on macOS 10.13.4. Apple didn't mention Apple Music during its WWDC keynote and at this time doesn't appear to be planning a major update to the app this fall. Besides the updated artist profiles, iOS 12 beta testers have discovered that subscribers will be able to perform searches for music via lyric snippets.
Snapchat is expanding the use of its Bitmoji characters -- specifically "Friendmojis" -- for iOS users in the coming days. With the update, iPhone and iPad users will be able to send personalized Friendmojis, or Bitmoji stickers that include both you and your friend, directly in Apple's Messages app.
Currently, Bitmoji is available as a keyboard extension and a Messages app so users can send Bitmoji in Messages, but the new update marks the first time combo Friendmojis can be sent outside of the main Snapchat app. Anyone who has their Bitmoji and Snapchat accounts linked together will be able to send Friendmojis in Messages.
To send a Friendmoji, a new "Friend" icon will appear in the upper-right corner of the Bitmoji keyboard extension, which can be added to trusted keyboards in the iOS Settings app. From there users will see a list of Snapchat friends they can tap on to generate customized Friendmojis featuring their own Bitmoji and their friend's character.
Friendmojis have numerous themes and celebratory messages, from simple "Good Morning" messages to more specific stickers for birthdays, holidays, major events, apologies, and more. Snapchat acquired Bitmoji in the summer of 2016, heavily integrating the sticker characters into its app over the years. In 2018, Snapchat now uses Bitmojis as the main form of identifying friends in the app.
Since Bitmojis popularized the creation of personalized animated characters, many companies have now unveiled interest in the space, most recently Apple with its own "Memoji" coming in iOS 12 on iPhone X. With Memojis, users can create customized animated characters that look like themselves, and then use the iPhone X's TrueDepth camera system to replicate movements made by the mouth, eyes, eyebrows, and tongue.
Memoji messages can be sent through Messages as stickers and video clips, and can be attached to the user's face in a video clip. Memojis are an evolution of Animoji, which take traditional emoji characters and turn them into full 3D emojis that follow the face movements of the user. Of course, the main difference between Apple's efforts and Bitmoji is Bitmoji's focus on full-body customization, while Apple's animated characters are only floating heads.
Yahoo today announced that its Yahoo Messenger service will no longer be supported after July 17, 2018, encompassing the closure of apps for iOS and Android and any web browser clients (via TechCrunch). The service will function normally until then, and after that date users will no longer be able to access their chats and the Messenger service as a whole will be shut down.
The company promised that the discontinuation of Yahoo Messenger will not impact a user's Yahoo ID, so it will continue to work for products like Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Fantasy. As for a reason, Yahoo said that it is focusing on "building and introducing new, exciting communications tools" that will be a "better fit" for its customers.
We know we have many loyal fans who have used Yahoo Messenger since its beginning as one of the first chat apps of its kind. As the communications landscape continues to change over, we're focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs.
"There currently isn't a replacement" for Yahoo Messenger, however, so the company pointed users toward the invite-only group messaging app Yahoo Squirrel. Squirrel is still in the testing phase and allows groups to organize private chats with friends and family members in a style similar to Slack and Discord.
Yahoo originally debuted its Yahoo Messenger app on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] in April 2009, giving users the ability to instant message their contacts when away from their computer. In the years since, messaging apps like Apple's iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and others have surged in popularity and caused users to leave Yahoo's platform for ones more popular among their own friend groups. Today, Yahoo Messenger is #167 on the App Store's most-downloaded Social Networking app list.
Prior to its appearance on the App Store, Yahoo Messenger originally debuted in 1998 (dubbed "Yahoo Pager") as an instant messaging client that users could download for free to chat with friends. In 2018, Yahoo said that users will be able to download their chat history to a computer or other device for the next six months, and more information can be found in the FAQ section of the announcement page.
Yahoo Messenger's closure in 2018 follows the sunsetting of AOL Instant Messenger in December 2017, both of which are owned by parent company Oath and lasted for around 20 years online.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with DirecTV Now. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
